Fore and aft rigged vessel



May 3, 1932. E. BLACKMAN FORE AND AFT RIGGED VESSEL Filed July 18, 1951 mm, 3 w

vi. w

INVENTOR. [pm/P0 Lflz/lm'M/w BY A0 ATTORNEY Patented May 3, 1932 PATENT OFFICE EDWARD L. BLACKMAN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK FORE AND AFT Application filed July 18,

This invention relates tofore and aft rigged vessels in general and more especially to the mechanism for rigging sail boats, such as sloops, schooners, catboats or other fore andaft rigged vessels.

The subject matter of this application in part is disclosed in my copending application, Serial No. 480,888 filed September 10, 1980.

Among the objects of the present invention, it is aimed to provide an improved apparatus for rigging the sails of sail boats, such as sloops, schooners, catboats or other fore and aft riggedvessels by means of which when'sailing with the wind, the front end of the sails will form an acute angle with the deck of the vessel and when sailing with the wind from any other quarter will extend to leeward so that the sails, when the boat heels '29 with the wind, will lie in a plane more nearly perpendicular to the thrust or direction of the wind so that greater advantage will be taken of the propelling force of the wind.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide in an improved rigging of this type, a reinforcement or stiffening means for the luff edge of the main sail having therequired strength and rigidity but having a minimum weight and mass so that the additional weight or mass requiredmay be reduced to a minimum.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved stiffening means for the luff edge of the main sail of a rigging of this improved type which while having the required rigidity and stiffness is sufficiently flexible and mobile to cooperate with the force distributing means resulting in a more even distribution of the force of the wind along the length of the mast.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the present invention will appear from the subjoined detail description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective of a fore and aft rigged vessel, of the sloop variety equipped with the present improvement;

- Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same showing RIGGED' VESSEL 1931. Serial No. 551,603.

the position of the main sail in dotted lines when sailing with the wind;

Fig. 3 is a fragment-a1 view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental sectional view showing the connection of the boom and flexible connector with the guiding means of the same;

Fig. 5' is an enlarged fragmental view of the upper end of the main sail and its conto nection to the boom and flexible connector;

Fig. 6 is a fragmental enlarged view similar to- Fig. 5 showing another position of the gafi relative to the mast, and

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

In the embodiment illustrated, there is provided a hull 1 having a mast 2, a jib-boom 8, a main sheet block traveler 4 and a tiller or helm 5, all arranged as customary with vessels of this type.

In the present instance, the jib-boom 3 is provided with an arcuate cross-bar 6 to which is slidably connected the slidable member 7 connected by the block and tackle 8 to the halyard 9, the free end of which is connected to the cleat 10 formed on the deck 1 of the vessel adjacent to the bow thereof.

The slidable member 7 is connected to the front end of the jib 11, the rear lower end of which is connected by the halyard 12 to the cleat 13 secured on the deck 1 of the hull to the front of the mast 2. The upper end of the jib 11 is connected to the halyard 14 which extends through the block or pulley 15 secured to the upper end of the mast 2, which halyard 14 then passes down to the cleat 16 secured to the 1*- of the vessel.

The main sail 17 is connected at its lower edge in the usual way to the boom 18 and along its upper edge to the gaff 19. The luff edge of the sail in the present instance is slidably connected to the flexible connector 20 which in the present instance preferably consists of a steel cable of suflicient strength and under sufficient tension to maintain the luff edge substantially straight and sufficiently flexible and mobile to facilitate cooperating with the force distributing means hereinafter to be described.

This connector 20, see particularly Fig. 5

. is preferably connected at its upper end to a metallic thimble 21 which encircles the mast 2 flaring inwardly at its upper edge at 22 to form a smooth cam surface with the mast 2 and inwardly rounded at its lower edge at 23 to form a cam surface. This thimble 21 has an enlargement. 24 at one edge thereof, preferably. to the rear of the. mast 2 to form an anchoring chamber for the upper ing 28 in the metal bracket 28 to permit the metal bracket 28 to be pivotally mounted on said projection 27. The connection of the projection 27 with the-metalbracket .28 permits not only rotation of the boom 18 about a substantially vertical axis but in addition '30 of the I-beam rail 31.

permits rocking about a horizontal axis.

The projection 27 as shown infFig. 4 is fixed to the upper end of the gripping bracks et 29, the jaws of which grip the upper flange The front'endof the gripping member 29 is provided with a projection 31 provided with an opening 32 to receive the halyard 33 of the block and tackle34. The free end of the halyard 33,

' as shown in Fig. 1, is connected to the cleat or hook 35 formed on the deck 1 of the vessel adjacent to the tiller 5.

34 is connected to the deckl of the'vessel at 37, preferably to the rear of the mast 2 as indicated. 7

I The rail 30 in the presentinstance, preferably extends from-starboard side to larboardside of the vessel as indicated being mounted on the standards 38 and 39, and is 1 arcuate, the radius of which coincides with the distance from the upper end of the connector 20 to the lower end thereof to permit the lower end of the connector 20 to travel along thisrail 30 while maintained in a perfectly rigid position.

At .both ends'of the rail30, there are provided the extensions 40 and 41. respectively, the front ends of which are mounted on the standards 42 and 43, and these extensions 40 and 41 are similarly arcuate, the radii'of which coincide with the distance from the upper end of the connector 20 to the lower end thereofto permit the lower end of the connector 20 totravel in suchextensions 46 and '41 while being maintained "substantially rigid. The front ends of therail extensions are provided with the abutments 44 to determine the forward movement of the connector 20 relative to the extensions 40 and 41 respectively.

Throughout the length ofthe connector 20, there are provided a plurality of rings or lower end of the connector 20 engages the extensions 40 and 41 or the ends of the rail 30.

-When it is desired to reef the main sail 17 it is onlynecessary to swing the boom 18 so that its forward" end is disposed adjacent to the rearof the mast 2 when the distance is such that the smallest ring 45 may pass over the connector, 20 and mast 2 at their lower extremities adjacent to therail 30.

The gaff 19'is provided at its inner end with the wooden bifurcated member '50 which is preferably provided with a fle xible pin 51 on which are preferably mounted the wooden rings 52'which act asball bearings when engaging the mast 2 as shown in Fig. 7. The

trough of the bifurcated portion is preferably provided with a me'tallic'sheet53 to take up the wear towhich this end of the device 50 is subjected when passing up and down alongtheconnector 20.

The gaff 19 is provided with the usual halyards, to wit the peak halyard 54 extending from the upper end of the gaff 19 to the pulley 55 secured to 'the'upper end of the mast 2 and then passing down to the pulley 56 midway between the ends of the gaff l9 The lower pulley 36 of the block and tackle and thenback to the pulley 55 and then down to the deck of the vessel in the usual Way. The-inner end of. the gafi19 i s'also provided with the usual throat halyard 57 which passes around the pulley 58'connected to the inner end of the gaff 19 and then up around the pulley 59 at the upper end of the mast and then down to the deck in the usual way.

The free end of the boom 18 is pro-vided with the usual main sheet block and tackle 60 which is'connectedto the traveler 4, the halyard of which extends forwardly-to the cleat 61 adjacent to the pivotal mounting of the tiller 5.

It will be seen from Figs. 5 and 6 that the device 50 is constructed freely to pass over the thimble 21 from the position indicated in Fig. 5 to the position indicated in Fig. 6

when the gaff is lowered in the act of reefing the sail, and on the other hand that this device will freely pass over the thimble 21fwhen moving upwardly in the act of unreefing or raising the sail, When the cam-surface 23 will facilitate the smooth upward-movement of the device 50. r f 1 a In order to brace orreinforce the mast, in the present instance, the stays 62 and 63 are provided consisting of steel cables connected to the upper end of the mast 2 and provided with hooks 64 and 65 respectively at their lower ends which engage'the block and tackle 66 and 67 respectively secured to the deck 1 just astern of the guide rail 30, and the free ends of the halyards 68 and 69 of such block and tackle 66 and 67 respectively are connected to the cleats 70 and 71 formed on the deck 1*.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction, as for instance when applied to a Marconi rig, leg of-mutton rig or the like, without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims."

I claim:

1. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast and flexible connector connected at its 7 upper end to the upper portion of the mast to be spaced to the leeward or windward from the lower portion of the mast and to be held taut in such positions, a gall positioned substantially at the upper end of the taut connector, a boom connected to said connector substantially at its lower end, and a sail connected to the gait, connector and boom.

2. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast and rail extending from one side of the vessel to the other adjacent to said mast, a cable connected at its upper end to said mast and at its lower end to said rail and held taut but movable so that it may be inclined to leeward or windward of said mast, a gaff secured to the mast substantially at the upper end of said cable, a movable connection, a boom connected near the lower end of said cable to said rail by saidmovable connection, a main sail connected to said gafl, cable and boom, a jib boom connected to the bow of said vessel, a crossbar secured to said jib boom, and a jib sail connected at its upper end to said mast and at its front end to said crossbar, there to be inclined to leeward or windward of said vessel and at its rear end attached to said vessel. 3. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a flexible connector connected to the upper portion of the mast and extending down to and adapted to be spaced from the lower end of the mast, and a main sailrconnected at its lufl edge to said connector.

4. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a flexible connector connected at its upper end to the upper portion of the mast and extending down to and spaced from the lower end of the mast, a main sail connected to said connector, and a plurality of connecting means along said connector and mast to distribute the strain of the sail throughout the length of the mast.

5. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a boom, a sail attached along its lower edge to the boom and attached at the upper end of the 'luii edge of the sail to the mast;

a flexible connector, means for holding the luff edge of the sail substantially straight, a fixed and rigid guide secured to and extending across the deck of the vessel abaft the mast, to which said guide, said boom is attached to be shifted from side to side of the vessel.

6. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a cable connected at its upper end to the mast and at its lower end adapted to be spaced to leeward or windward from the lower portion of the mast, a boom connected at the lower end of the cable, a sail connected to the cable and boom, and means for connecting the lower end of the cable to the vessel and being spaced from the lower end of the mast to maintain the sail more nearly perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the wind whereby the propelling effect of the wind pressure on the sail in increased.

7. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a connector, a coupling for connecting the upper end of the connector to the mast, a boom connected to the lower end of the connector, a gait, and a sail connected to the gait, connector and boom, said gafl having a jaw at its inner end for receiving the mast and connector to permit the gait to pass the mast and connector when lowered in the act of resting or furling the sails.

8. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a flexible connector, a thimble secured at the upper end of the connector to said mast, a boom, a gafi', a sail connected to said boom, connector and gaff, and means at the inner end of said gaff for slidably mounting said gaii on said mast and connector.

9. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a boom, a flexible connector connected at its upper end to the upper portion of the mast, a rail extending abaft the mast across the deck of the vessel, a gripping jaw on said rail, a projection extending upwardly from said gripping jaw and pivotally connected to the lower end of said connector, a bracket on the inner end of said boom pivotally connected to said projection, a gall slidably mounted on said mast and connector, and a sail connected to said boom, connector and gait.

10. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a rail extending abaft the mast and across the deck of the vessel, a flexible con nector connected at its upper end to said mast and at its lower end slidably connected to said rail, said boom being pivotally connected to the lower end of said connector, a gaff slidably mounted on said mast and connector, and a sail connected to said mast, connector and gafi".

11. In a fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast a rail extending abai't the mast across the deck of the vessel and spaced a short distance from said mast directly abaft said mast, a flexible connector connected at its upper end to the upper portion of said mast and slidably mounted on said rail at its lower end, a boom connected to the lower end of saidconnector, a gafl slidably mounted on said mast and connector, a sail connected to said connector, boom and mast, and graduated rings connected to said sail, the smallest at the top and the largest at the bottom, gradually enlarging as they approach the lowermost ring, said rings extending from said- I to the upper portion of said mast and slidably'mounted on said rail at its lower end, a boom connected to the lowerend of said connector, a gafi slidably mounted on said mast and connector, a sail connected to said congaff nector, boom andmast, and graduated loops connected to said sail, the smallest at the top and the largest at the bottom, gradually enlarging as they approach the lowermost loop, said loops extending from said sail around said mast and connector, the smallest loop at the top being large enough to pass both the connector and the mast when the connector is disposed directly abaft the mast in order to permit reeling the sails, said loops substantially'equal to the distance from the mast to the connector when the sail is in raised position and the connector is in its extended lateral position whereby such loops will distribute the force of the wind throughout the length of the mast.

13. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a flexible connector a coupling connected at the upper end OI said connector to the upper portion of said mast and having cam surfaces at its ends, a boom connected to the lower end of said connector, a gafi, a gripping jaw on the inner end of said gafi to receive said mast and connector, a metallic reinforcement at the inner end of said gripping jaw adjacent to the connector when the gait is moved down along said connector, and a sail connected to said boom, connector and let. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a rail extending from one side of the vessel to the other adjacent to said mast," a cable connected at its upper end to said mast and its lower end to said rail to incline to leeward or Windward of said mast, a boom connected to the lower end of said cable, a main sail connected to said cable and boom, a jibboom connected to the bow of said vessel, a

crossbar secured to said jib-boom, and a jib-,

sail connected at its upper end to said mast and at its front end to said crossbar there to be inclined to leeward or windward of said 16. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a v mast, a cable connected to the upper portion of said mast with its lower end movable across the deck of the vessel, means extending partly around the mast for anchoring the lower end of the cable either parallel to the mast or at an angle thereto, as desired, and a main sail slidably attached to the cable to be hoisted or lowered along said cable.

17. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a flexible connector connected at its upper end to the upper portion of the mast and at its lower end adapted to be spaced from the lower end of the mast, a fixed guide secured to and extending across the vessel but spaced from the lower end of the mast, the lower end of the connector being movable on said guide, and a main sail connected to said connector.

18. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a cable connected at its-upper end to the mast and at its lower end adapted to be spaced to leeward or windward from the lower portion of the mast, a gaff positioned at the upper end of the cable, a boom connected at the lower end of the cable, a sail connected to the gait, cable boom, and means connecting the lower end of the cable to the vessel spaced from the lower end of the mast to maintain the sail more nearly perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the wind whereby the propelling effect or the wind pressure on the sail is increased.

19. A fore and aft rigged vessel having a mast, a rail extending from one side of the vessel to the other adjacent to said mast, a cable connected at its upper end to said mast and its lower end to said rail to incline to leeward or windward of said mast, a gafi, a boom connected to the lower end of said cable, a main sail connected to said gafi, cable and boom,'a jib-boom connected to the bow of said vessel, a crossbar secured tosaid jibboom, and a jib-sail connected at its upper end to said mast and at its front end to said crossbar there to be inclined to leeward or windward of said vessel and at its rear end attached to said vessel. I

20. A fore and aft rigged vessel'having a mast, a flexible connector connectedat its upper end to said mast, a boom connected to the lower end of said connector, and a sail con- EDWARD L. BLACK MAN. 

